It Only Took One Kiss To Know
by littlesheep
Summary: Stella, Mac and an innocent twig above the door. Who’s to blame? StellaMac Merry Christmas everyone! And Happy New Year bonus chapter 2 is up now!
1. Chapter 1

**Thanks to my "editor" Mitch who spent his lunch break checking this story - here's a little pre-Christmas gift for all of you out there. It's supposed to be a oneshot, but if I happen to stumble over some inspiration for a New Year's update, I might change my mind... Hope you like it! Please let me know by reviewing, thanks :-) (Btw, reviewing _might_ increase the chance for inspiration #gg#). **

**- **

_**It Only Took One Kiss To Know**_

Features the song _It Must Have Been The Mistletoe_ – an old traditional Christmas carol, origin unknown (sung by artists like Vikki Carr or Barbra Streisand).

-

Mac and I had been processing a scene in the middle of Central Park on December 24, it was already dark and light snowfall added a few more inches to the already existing blanket of snow. What seemed to be a crime scene turned out to be an unfortunate if not funny accident.

When we arrived, paramedics told us that pedestrians had reported an unconscious bleeding man under a tree in the park. We discovered splinters of wood that could have been from some weapon used to beat the poor guy – who by the way was dressed in a Santa costume and couldn't remember a thing. What had confused us where tracks we found in the snow.

Half an hour later Mac got a call that explained the mystery – the tracks at the scene were indeed those of a sleigh and the strange imprints were footprints of reindeers. The whole thing was no robbery gone bad – Santa's reindeers had bolted, the sleigh had crashed against the tree, he fell off and the animals had taken off with the vehicle. Now they were 'in custody' and we had solved the 'case'.

Santa, who still didn't have a clue of what had happened or what was going on, then wished us a Merry Christmas and told us he had been watching over us and had come here to make sure we would meet to find our love in the park. There you go.

That's as far as things went more or less normal for a Christmas Eve in New York City.

-

_It must have been the mistletoe  
The lazy fire, the falling snow  
The magic in the frosty air  
That feeling everywhere  
_

_  
It must have been the pretty lights  
That glistened in the silent night  
It may be just the stars so bright  
That shined above you  
_

_-  
_

The night was cold and starlit, the snowfall got heavier and we were in the middle of the park. Our car was parked on the other end and we had to walk back. For a while, we walked in silence side by side.

"Phew, it really cooled down today, it's almost frosty…" Mac remarked.

I looked over to him, my hands hidden in the depth of the sleeves of my coat, my neck pulled in as much as possible so that only my nose would stick out from my scarf. Almost frosty? He had to be kidding. It was lousy!

"You cold?" he asked when he didn't get a response from me.

Cold? Nooooo…

He looked pensive, then he suddenly ran some meters and turned around. He bent down and grabbed some snow to form a ball. What was that supposed to mean? He wouldn't, would he? He couldn't possibly…

_Smack!_

A soft, but pretty large snowball hit my right shoulder, only inches from my face. He did! I couldn't believe that Mac Taylor would get into such a childish thing like a snowball fight.

I narrowed my eyes to check what he was doing, but instead of waiting for a reaction, he had already formed the next ball. I could just duck in time to avoid another hit. This wasn't really happening… But okay – he wanted a fight, he could have it.

Before we knew it, we were involved in a wild snowball fight until Mac finally pulled a handkerchief from the pocket of his coat and waved it.

"I give up!" he exclaimed breathlessly chuckling.

"You're the one who started it," I returned, not less out of breath.

"But you have to admit, you're not cold anymore, are you?" he smiled. "Peace?"

I smiled back and took the hand he offered.

"Peace," I nodded.

-

_Our first Christmas  
More than we'd be dreaming of  
Ah, Saint Nicholas had his fingers crossed  
That we would fall in love!  
_

_  
It could have been the holiday  
The midnight ride upon sleigh  
The countryside all dressed in white  
The crazy snowball fight_

_-_

We were just about to continue our way to the other side of the park to get to our car, when suddenly someone started shouting. Then everything went pretty fast.

I remember that there were three figures with black clothes and ski masks. Someone grabbed me from behind and pulled my arms behind my back. I felt a stabbing pain in my right shoulder from the sudden movement. Mac, who instantly tried to come to my rescue, was attacked by two other guys. I saw him fighting off the first one who curled up in the snow, wincing from pain.

Somewhere in the struggle Mac's coat must have opened and apparently revealed either his gun or his batch. At least I recall the guy holding me suddenly calling something like '_He's a COP!'_.

The guy who was still trying to attack Mac let go off him, pulled his accomplice up and headed off while my attacker pushed me hard so that I stumbled and fell. My head must have knocked against something because here I'm missing a piece of memory.

XXXXX

When I woke up again, I was lying on some sort of cot that turned out to be a stretcher, a blanket covering my legs. I tried to rise – which wasn't a good idea because immediately a firework started to explode inside of my head. I sank back. Life was hard and apparently so was whatever had hit my head. After figuring that moving my right arm caused a similar firework feeling in my right shoulder, I tried the left side. That worked. Slowly, I reached for the back of my head.

A ball of the size of a medium tomato started to form there. Great. At least I couldn't feel any blood. I tried to open my eyes and after some blinking and readjustment of focus it worked pretty good. I looked around without trying to lift my head again - I'm a quick learner. I was inside of an ambulance, but there was nobody around. The backdoors were open and I could hear Mac talking to someone.

"Hello??" I managed to get out. "Anyone there?"

He was at my side within milliseconds.

"Stella! Thank God. How are you?"

"Well, you know: Bad weeds grow tall. I guess I'm okay," I said, not really that convinced by what I just said myself. But I knew what would be coming and wanted to avoid that from the beginning.

"Yeah, right," Mac returned. He wasn't convinced either. "Wait a second…" He jumped out and went over to the investigating officers.

In the meantime, I tried to convince the paramedics to let me go. I knew that Mac would make me go to the hospital and the last thing I wanted was to spend Christmas Eve there. So I thought that if I could convince them to let me go now, I would just tell him they had said that I could go and…

"Is there a problem here?"

Damnit! That hadn't been enough time. Of course the paramedics explained the situation to him and also of course…

"Miss Bonasera WILL go to the hospital," he firmly declared. Then he quickly returned to the officers who finished taking his statement. "I'll come to look after you as soon as I can, be nice!" he added in my direction.

I wanted to roll my eyes on his last comment, but gave up on that instantly. More fireworks…

XXXXX

A pen with a light bulb at the front end was shining into my left eye, then into the right one. A finger was moved in front of my eyes to check the reaction of my pupils. My hands and feet were tweaked to test the nerve tracks. Apparently everything was working properly and still placed where it should be and despite a possible concussion, the doctor finally agreed to let me go.

Under one condition: Mac, who was also present during the examination, would take care of me and had to promise not to let me out of his sight and to get me back to the hospital at the first sign of nausea or dizziness.

Obviously the good doctor was of the opinion that one shouldn't spend time at the hospital, especially not on Christmas, if one could be with one's loved ones.

Loved ones??? I didn't question or argue, the point was I was about to get out of there.

-

_It could have been the steeple bell  
That wrapped us up in its spell  
It only took one kiss to know  
It must have been the mistletoe  
_

-

Mac drove me to the exit of the lobby in a wheelchair. Not that I wouldn't have been able to walk, but it's general hospital policy that patients are to be transported in a wheelchair up to the front door. So what?

At the door, a nurse took the chair from us and wished us a Merry Christmas. I was wondering for a brief moment why she said it with a twinkle in her eyes, looking at us, then up and back to us. Then she nodded with a smile and turned to leave.

I looked up – and then to Mac. He followed my gaze and smiled. We were standing under some mistletoe. Why there was one above the entrance door of a hospital is unknown to me, as is the reason for what happened next.

Mac looked into my eyes.

I looked into his.

We didn't speak or move. There was a silent conversation between us, questions that were asked and answered, then he came closer to me – and suddenly his lips were on mine.

It was just a kiss between friends and partners. Just an old Christmas tradition. Sweet, yet innocent. Nothing more. Very innocent and harmless and…

Why didn't he pull back now?

And why didn't I?

Why were we still kissing?

And did he just pull me closer against him?

Did I just open my mouth to let his tongue explore it?

Santa's words in the park reappeared in the back of my mind: '_…I came here to make sure you meet to find your love tonight…'_.

-

_Our first Christmas more than we'd be dreaming of  
Ah, St. Nicholas must have know that kiss  
Would lead to all of this  
It must have been the mistletoe  
_

_  
The lazy fire, the falling snow  
The magic in the frosty air  
That made me love you_

_-_

XXXXX

"Do we have to go home yet?" I asked after we finally broke the kiss. The night was beautiful, the snowfall had stopped and the night sky was clear and full of stars. It was still freezing cold, but I needed fresh air.

"What do you want to do?" Mac softly asked me as we started walking. He was still holding my right hand, warming it with his left one inside of his coat pocket.

"I don't know…"

I really didn't. It didn't matter. All I wanted was to be with him, absorbing the magic of this special night.

"I know something, come on!" he suddenly said and started walking across the street, towards Central Park again.

XXXXX

"Nothing more romantic than a sleigh ride in Central Park when you are newly in love, right?" the driver asked as he encouraged the two horses to start pulling the sleigh.

Mac nodded with a smile as he gave me a tender, loving look. His left arm was wrapped around my body in a protective gesture, the woolen blanket on our knees kept us both warm. I smiled back and leaned my head against his left shoulder. Santa had been right, the doctor had been right – the sleigh driver was right.

We both knew that now – and it only took one kiss to know…

_-_

_  
On Christmas Eve our wish came true  
That I would fall in love with you  
It only took one kiss to know_

_-_

The End

(Edit: Make this a TBC, there's gonna be a chapter 2 :-))

-

**MERRY CHRISTMAS to all my loyal reviewers and all the StellaMac fans out there :-)**

** xxxlittlesheepxxx **


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks so much for all the nice reviews! As I already said, it could be possible that there would be another chapter - and here it is. I had the feeling the story wasn't complete yet and I couldn't stop thinking about it... This is the result ;-) And more: I figured out that this story will be kind of a prologue (or prequel if you want) to another idea of mine that I might start soon. I'll explain that one when it's time - the name will be "As Time Goes By" (most likely not in first person, but will continue after the events of this one).**

**- **

Chapter 2

_Walkin' with you in a winter's snow  
Kissin' underneath the mistletoe  
People smiling everywhere we go  
It's Christmas Eve and they can see we're in love_

(from the song _Christmas Eve_ by Céline Dion)

-

When I woke up the next morning, it took me a while to recollect the events of the previous day.

Where was I?

After a first careful attempt to open my eyes, I figured that I was in my own bed. Good. A peek at my alarm clock told me it was already past 10 a.m. I lightly stretched under the comforter. My shoulder still hurt a little, but at least I could move my arm without a stabbing pain resulting from each movement. I felt relaxed and immortally strong. Until I tried to lift my head.

What had happened the night before?

Vague images appeared in my memory. Santa in the park, someone shining a light into my eyes, a sleigh with horses, fireworks, tomatoes, mistletoe…

Mistletoe.

The image got clearer. Me, Mac, the kiss when we left the hospital.

I smiled. In that moment, Mac appeared in the door. Of MY bedroom…

"What are _you_ doing here?" I asked more than a little confused.

"Merry Christmas! And good morning to you, too, Stella," he smiled at my irritation.

Then he disappeared and after I heard some rummaging in my kitchen, he returned with a tray on which he had placed a complete breakfast including fresh bagels, butter, marmalade, cheese, coffee, tea, orange juice and a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

My mouth dropped open.

"Where did you get all this?? It must have taken forever to prepare everything," I wondered while he cut the first bagel and handed it to me.

"I woke up early as usual, I didn't want to wake you and so I decided to go for a walk and then get us some breakfast on the way back," he returned as he prepared a bagel for himself and filled a mug of tea for me and one with coffee for himself.

_Didn't want to wake you…_

The first bite of the bagel almost got stuck in my throat without having been chewed. I managed to recover without choking and without Mac getting suspicious.

Should I ask him what happened? Did I expect _that_ something happened? Wouldn't I remember if? Would he take advantage of a situation where I wasn't fully in control of my own actions? No, certainly not…

"You know, your couch is actually quite comfortable," he mumbled between two bites.

_Couch?!? Phew… Okay, so much for that._

"Why did you sleep on my couch?" I managed to ask.

He gave me a closer look.

"How much exactly do you remember from last night?"

"Santa, snowball fight, the attack, firework, tomato, hospital…" I tried to give a short summary of what I recalled.

"Tomato??" Mac interrupted with a puzzled look.

When I briefly pointed to the back of my head, he nodded understandingly.

"Mistletoe, a beautiful sleigh ride in Central Park and…" I went on, trying to dig deeper in my memory, "…and that's about it, I guess."

Mac nodded with a smile.

"You were pretty drowsy from the medication they gave you at the hospital and you fell asleep before the sleigh ride ended," he explained. "I took you home and since the doctor had made me promise that I would take care of you and not let you out of my sight, I decided to sleep on the couch in case you needed me."

"Thanks, Mac. But it's not necess-"

"Don't even try it. If you weren't here under my supervision now, you would be at the hospital for at least a week. So either you will let me stay on your couch for the time being or you come with me and stay at my place. Unless of course you prefer the hospitality of the Mount Sinai…"

I sighed in resignation. The moment I would breathe in to start an objection, Mac would call the doctor to tell him he would take me back there. But – a week home with him as my personal caretaker…

It could definitely be worse.

XXXXX

I was right, it could be worse. The next days were just wonderful. Mac was just perfect. Every morning when I woke up, he had already prepared a wonderful breakfast with the most delicious things. I started feeling like a queen in my own home. I was on sick leave until after New Year's and Mac had somehow managed to get the time off himself.

We spent the days with window shopping, walks in the park, visiting museums and other nice things – not without Mac always eagerly watching that I didn't overexert myself. The evenings we spent at my place. Even though I didn't want to admit it, I was still getting tired easily.

We would just sit on the couch and watch TV or listen to some music or talk or just sit in silence. It became a habit that I curled up against him, my head resting against his chest or shoulder, his arm gently wrapped around my body. Sometimes I would fall asleep and he carefully placed a woolen blanket over me while my head resting in his lap and he wouldn't move until I woke up on my own. Even if he had to sit like that the whole night.

Sometimes we even kissed, but those were more innocent, sweet kisses. In the mornings when I woke up or in the evenings when I went to bed, a little kiss goodnight was always there. I wasn't sure if Mac was just being the perfect gentleman I expected him to be or if this was all that would happen. A little beyond friendship and partnership, but not more? I knew I was beginning to feel something different, but I didn't know about Mac. Would he eventually make a move or would I have to try and risk losing him? For now, I didn't want to worry about that.

XXXXX

The day before New Years Eve, our dinner at Mac's place was interrupted by his cell phone. He only took a brief look at the display before he put it away again. Then he got up and excused himself.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'll have to go to the lab for a short visit. Can I leave you alone?"

I shot him a sharp look.

"I don't need a babysitter, if that's what you mean?"

I didn't want to snap, but to be honest I didn't appreciate work ruining the evening.

"Would you like me to take you back to your place? I would be back there as soon as I can…" he tried to offer.

"Can we stay here?" I asked.

I needed to know how he was feeling about this and making an attempt to stay at his place over night might tell me. I was surprised about his reaction.

"Sure, that's a nice idea," he smiled. "I promise I'll be back soon."

XXXXX

When Mac returned a little more than two hours later, he was wearing a bright smile across his face. He approached the couch where I was sitting, took my hands and pulled me into his arms. Then he kissed me cheerfully. I was stunned.

"What?" I wondered after he let go off me and propped himself on the couch.

"You know, I almost forgot how nice it is to come home and have somebody waiting for you."

"Yeah? Well, it's not so nice to be the one home waiting…" I returned, but snuggled closer against him. It wasn't that bad either after all.

"Sorry," he smiled. "I got something to make up for that, but for now, you need to get some sleep. I have a surprise for you tomorrow."

XXXXX

The next morning came – and nothing happened.

We had breakfast together, went to watch the ice skaters at Rockefeller Center, had lunch at a little Greek restaurant and returned back to Mac's place in the afternoon. No mention of the surprise anymore – I was bursting with suspense. And Mac? Either he had forgotten about it or he had only told me he had a surprise to appease me or – or he was a really good actor. I couldn't read anything from his face and it was starting to drive me crazy.

"Are you ready?" he suddenly asked when I had almost forgotten to be excited about whatever he was planning.

"Ready for what?" I tried to figure out.

"I'll take you to your place so that you can freshen up and put on something nice. I'm not gonna tell you where we are going yet, but you might want to wear the most stunning outfit you have," he smiled mysteriously. "I'll pick you up at 8 p.m., is that enough time for you or would you need more?"

I shrugged. How was I supposed to know?

XXXXX

Five minutes after eight o'clock, my doorbell rang. I opened the door at the sight of the most gorgeous man I ever met in my life. At least in that moment, he seemed to be. Mac was wearing a black tuxedo with a dark red shirt and a dark grey tie with little red dots on it. He looked … amazing. He must have had similar thoughts about my outfit because it took him a moment to find his voice again.

"You look … beautiful!" he gasped, his eyes wandering across my body. I was wearing a dark green silk dress with a tight top, V-neck with a bit more than a little cleavage and a wide, swinging skirt. I had been wondering about my hair, but then decided to just leave it open, I knew Mac liked it that way. I think I might have blushed a little.

"Thanks," I mumbled. "You look great yourself."

"Ready to go?"

"Ready," I nodded.

Out on the street, my mouth dropped open again. In front of my apartment building, there was a black limousine waiting for us. The driver held the back door open and Mac gestured me to climb into the car. If he was trying to impress me, he had certainly achieved his goal.

And he wasn't quite done yet…

Only a few blocks from where we started, the driver stopped the car and got out to open the door for us. We were standing in front of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. I looked at Mac in disbelief.

"How did you…?" I wasn't even sure what I wanted to ask him.

He smiled at my reaction.

"I'm personal friends with the GM and he owed me for a favor I did him in the past. Remember the call I got yesterday? I wasn't completely honest with you, it wasn't the lab. I met with him to arrange … well, a little something for tonight. So how about we get in there and have a nice little dinner together?"

Nice little dinner? Sure, in one of the most luxurious hotels in the world… Why not? I'm not the kind of girl to decline such an offer.

XXXXX

"This was amazing…" I whispered after we had finished our dinner.

And amazing it was. Whatever favor Mac had given to his friend, it must have been something good. Never in life I had such delicious things to eat, not to speak of the great wine and champagne they had served. I could tell that Mac enjoyed seeing me having a good time, but I couldn't help the feeling that he was also a little tensed.

"You ready for another surprise?" he asked quietly.

"Another surprise? After all this?" I looked around. "You really know how to impress a girl, don't you?"

Mac shrugged with a little smile.

"I try my best. Come on, you wanna see the New Years Eve celebration at Times Square?" he asked expectantly.

"Love to," I said hesitantly.

"What is it, Stella?" Mac asked.

"It's rather cold outside and my outfit isn't exactly… you know, winter proof," I explained my concerns.

"Not a problem," he returned with a smile and got a key out of his pocket.

"What…?"

"The deal didn't only include a table for a New Years Eve dinner, but also a room with a great view on Times Square so that we can watch the ceremony from there…" he hesitated to say more, anxiously checking my reaction.

"We get to stay the whole night here at the hotel?" I asked excitedly.

"We can do if we, I mean if that's what…"

I put my arms around his neck and placed a passionate kiss on his mouth. If he had been afraid I would feel pushed by him arranging for a hotel room for a night, now he knew there was no reason to worry. I could feel the tension being replaced by relief as we made our way to the elevators.

The room was incredible. I guess in a hotel like the Waldorf Astoria, even the 'simple' rooms are pure luxury to everyone who hasn't been born with a golden spoon in his mouth. To the left, there was an open fireplace with a nice, crackling fire. Above it, several scented candles spread a nice smell of cinnamon and coconut. A gift basket on the table in the middle of the room contained several fruits and other delicious things, next to it there was a bottle of champagne in a cooler and two glasses. A door on the right side led to the bedroom with a very comfortably looking king-sized bed.

Once we were in the room, the atmosphere became different. There wasn't any sign of awkwardness or hesitation between us anymore. Mac poured us two glasses of champagne. Then we sat on a nice big armchair, me on his lab, and watched out of the large window down on Times Square. It was almost midnight and it had started to snow again.

Mac smiled and looked at me tenderly, the half-dark room only lit by the fire and the lights of the city outside.

"Mac, what are you thinking?" I asked softly.

I was trying to imagine what this new year would hold for us. I felt his warm breath on my neck as he wrapped his arms tighter around me. Knowing he was thinking the same, I turned my head and gave him a light, reassuring kiss. He smiled at me. He did understand what I wanted to say.

"Look, I think the countdown is starting now," he broke the silence after a little while.

We got up and looked out of the window. Mac was standing behind me, his arms tenderly wrapped around my waist, his head resting on my right shoulder. I leaned my head against his left cheek and sighed silently as we watched the crowd downstairs counting down the seconds to midnight while the ball on the opposite building was slowly going down. When it hit the bottom, everyone started cheering and seconds later, a fascinating firework started exploding.

Mac turned me around to face him. For a moment we looked into each others eyes wordlessly.

"Happy New Year, Mac," I whispered.

"Happy New Year, Stella," he whispered back before he pulled me into a sweet and passionate kiss.

We kept watching the fireworks above the skyline of Midtown Manhattan until something caught my attention.

"Did you just see that?" I asked, but Mac's attention didn't seem to be on the fireworks anymore.

"See what?" he wondered.

"I thought I just saw some kind of flash in one of the windows in the building on the other side of the street…" I slowly explained.

I wasn't sure. It was late, I had had wine and champagne all evening and there was lights and fireworks outside. Under other circumstances I would have said it could have been the light from a gunshot being fired, but now…

"Must have been a reflection from the fireworks," Mac confirmed my guess.

"Yeah, I think you're right. You wanna keep watching?" I asked, pressing closer against his body.

"Not if you don't want to…"

Suggestions and unspoken questions were hanging in the air. We both knew that this new year would have a special start for us.

"What do you have in mind?" I asked quietly as we slowly walked over to the bedroom.

"How about if we just wait and see what the night holds for us?" he suggested, then suddenly he cursed silently.

"What now, Mac?" I asked, wondering.

"Damnit…"

"What, Mac?"

"I … You know I … When I made the deal for the room and the dinner, I wasn't sure where the evening would lead us and now I don't…"

I realized after a little moment what he was going at. Then I had an idea.

"Wait a moment, maybe we can solve that problem," I said and went over to the other side of the bed. After all we were at a hotel and the reception should be able to help us. When I looked into the nightstand drawer, I had to grin.

"Would this solve the little problem?" I asked, holding up a package with three condoms.

Mac rolled his eyes with a chuckle and checked the nightstand on the other side where he found another three-pack.

"I can't believe it… This is… I should have known when I asked him if he could arrange for a romantic dinner and later a room with a nice view on Times Square, that he would make such assumptions. Stella, I'm really sorry. I swear I didn't know and I have nothing to do with this…"

I had to laugh about his struggle to convince me that the condoms weren't his idea.

"You know, actually it honors you that you didn't just assume things to go this way and bring some yourself," I smiled at him. "But I don't see any reason why we shouldn't accept the little gift from your friend, right?"

"I promise, I won't do anything unless you say I can," he assured me, regaining his self-assurance. "Which is not to say that I won't make suggestions."

"How do I know you'll keep your word?" I teased him.

He shrugged and looked at me tenderly.

"You can't know," he said quietly. "You just have to trust me."

And trust him, I did. With my life.

The End

-

**Happy New Year everyone out there - readers, reviewers, StellaMac fans and of course Melina and Gary who inspire me most :-)**

**xxxlittlesheepxxx**


End file.
